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State and federal agriculture officials are warning Delmarva poultry growers to take extra precautions after a bird flu outbreak in Tennessee.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its state counterparts in Delaware and Maryland have urged growers to increase security to prevent visitors or wild birds from coming into contact with their chicken flocks. Industry officials issued the warning after confirmed cases of H7 avian influenza was confirmed at a farm in Lincoln County, Tennessee. Roughly 73,500 chickens were destroyed, and 30 farms within a 6-mile radius were quarantined after the discovery. The Tennessee case is the first case of avian influenza in a U.S. commercial poultry flock this year.

An avian flu outbreak could be devastating to Delaware's economy. Chickens accounted for about 70 percent of Delaware's cash farm income in 2014, according to the most recently available statistics. That year, the state produced 1.7 billion pounds of meat chicken with a total value of $1.1 billion. Delaware ranks seventh in the nation in pounds of meat chickens produced and the value of that production.

Officials stressed that no signs indicate the bird flu is in Delaware, but farmers are still taking extra precautions.

"Bird flu is always in the back of your mind," said Jennifer Timmons, of Terra Blue Hen Farm in Delmar. "It's always a concern, and we are always trying to implement practices to prevent it from coming here."

Government officials, along with the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., a chicken grower trade group, are encouraging growers to update their biosecurity plans. Growers are encouraged to properly suit up before they enter a chicken house and ensure the chickens do not come in contact with people or birds who don't belong on the firm.

Timmons said she has a visitor log so they always know who is visiting the firm and keep their chicken houses locked at all times. Other precautions, she said, include wearing different clothing in the chicken house than on the farm so manure or any other contaminants are not tracked into the farm. Growers' biosecurity plans typically come from the poultry company they raise chickens for, she said.

"Without adequate biosecurity plans in place, growers and others in the chicken industry might suffer severe financial hardship if avian influenza was detected at a Delmarva farm," said James Fisher, a spokesman for the Delmarva Poultry Industry. "Chicken growers are the first line of defense against avian influenza, and they take that role very seriously."

Stacey Hoffman, a spokeswoman for the Delaware Department of Agriculture, said growers should register their flocks with the state so they can be monitored to prevent an outbreak. She said growers can register the flocks through the department's website.

"It helps us understand where all the birds in the state are, and we can contact them to make sure they are healthy," she said.

Avian influenza usually does not affect humans, but there have been a few rare cases of human infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human infections occur when enough of the virus gets into a person's eyes, nose or mouth. Illnesses in humans have ranged from mild to severe, the CDC has said. Symptoms mirror the regular flu with a fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches to lower respiratory disease.

Hoffman said Delaware officials will continue to monitor the situation to protect growers.

"We are continuing our vigilance in making sure the birds are healthy and there are no signs of bird flu here and so far there isn't," she said.